Iranian lifter snatches new world record

Rio de Janeiro: Iranian weightlifter Behdad Salimikordasiabi set a new world record of 216kg in the snatch in the men’s superheavyweight +105kg competition at the Rio Olympics on Tuesday.

Salimikordasiabi, often called ‘Salimi’, had owned the record of 214kg going into the event only for Georgia’s Lasha Talakhadze to lift 215 with his third attempt. However, the Georgian only held the world record for around one minute as Salimi confidently strode onto the podium and immediately grabbed the record back for himself. Salimi leads by 1kg going into the clean and jerk. The men’s +105kg will see the 15th and final weightlifting gold medal of the Rio Games awarded. AFP